Toyota is proud to claim to have created the compact SUV market with the launch of its first Recreational Active V
ehicle with 4 Wheel-Drive (RAV4) in 1994.
Launched as a compact (3.69 m), 3-door model, the first “Urban 4WD” was quite different to a traditional 4x4. It
featured a relatively small, 2.0 litre engine mounted transversally within a monocoque bodyshell, and all-round
independent suspension. The compact SUV market was born. Today, there are some 20 different models in the
segment.
Available in over 150 countries, three generations of RAV4 have sold more than 4.5 million units since 1994, of
which European markets have accounted for over 1.2 million sales